


Silver Ribbons and Unfortunate Misunderstandings

by AboutBatman (MistyDawn)



Series: Superbat Week 2020 [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Because they Looove Each Other, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Superbat Week 2020, That Lead to Lots of Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25619191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistyDawn/pseuds/AboutBatman
Summary: Something shifted in Bruce. It wasn’t an amazing burst of colour, nor was it handwriting scarring its way onto his arm. No, it was a warm feeling, like the feeling you get after coming home from a long journey, or the feeling of relief and satisfaction you get from slotting the last piece of a large jigsaw puzzle into place.Clark looked slightly flushed, his eyes were wide and his cheeks rosy as he stared back at Bruce. “Did you feel that too?” he asked.“Yes. I…we...” Bruce trailed off, unsure of what to say.“Bruce we just formed a soulmate bond.”Clark and Bruce form a romantic soulmate bond. They mistake it for a platonic bond and then proceed to pine over each other.Superbat Week 2020: Day 5- Free Day (Soulmate au)
Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne
Series: Superbat Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1851754
Comments: 14
Kudos: 262
Collections: DC





	Silver Ribbons and Unfortunate Misunderstandings

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta [Pax!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedNightDeer/pseuds/RedNightDeer)
> 
> For Superbat Week 2020: Day 5- Free Day
> 
> So I put out a post a while ago asking for superbat prompts and I would pick my favourite to write. I've never written a soulmates au before so I decided to give this one a go.
> 
> Prompt:  
>  _Superbat AU, but the catch is, soulmates aren't decided by the fate of the universe or whatever. When you build relationships and you click with someone, you form a soulmate bond. Platonic or Romantic, but you can't tell which is which. Clark and Bruce form a romantic bond, but they angst because they think it is platonic._

Something shifted in Bruce. It wasn’t an amazing burst of colour, nor was it handwriting scarring its way onto his arm. No, it was a warm feeling, like the feeling you get after coming home from a long journey, or the feeling of relief and satisfaction you get from slotting the last piece of a large jigsaw puzzle into place.

Bruce gasped and looked up at Clark from where he sat in his chair at the batcomputer. It was a normal day. One like any other. The league had dispatched whatever villain of the week had attempted to rear their ugly head, and then after, Batman and Superman had left together as they normally did. Bruce and Clark met up most days to discuss case files and the usual goings-ons in their respective sister cities, they spent hours by each-others side’s either fighting alongside each other, or simply sitting with each other and working together to solve whatever mystery graced their superhero workload that day.

Clark looked slightly flushed, his eyes were wide and his cheeks rosy as he stared back at Bruce. “Did you feel that too?” he asked.

“Yes. I…we...” Bruce trailed off, unsure of what to say.

“Bruce we just formed a soulmate bond.”

 _I have a soulmate!_ “It would seem so,” he replied.

Clark grabbed him by the shoulders, looking excited and full of joy. “Bruce, this…this is brilliant!”

Bruce felt his own emotions begin to rise, but he tramped them down as much as possible. There was no use letting his disappointment show. It would only upset Clark, and bringing the other man’s mood down was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn’t want to have to see his own disappointment mirrored on Clark’s beautiful face.

Bruce had let himself hope. How stupid he had been. He had hoped that there was something between the two men, something that could have eventually turned romantic. But that hope was gone. They could never be together in the way Bruce truly wanted, not now that they had formed a platonic soulmate bond,and that’s exactly what it was; platonic.

There was no way it was anything but platonic. Romantic soulmate bonds formed from passion, they formed like they did in movies, all kissing under moonlight and declarations of love as one soulmate saved the others life. Romantic bonds formed like they did for Bruce’s parents— in a love story that was filled with adventure and fantasy and above all else, devotion. They didn’t form like this, two friends sitting in a dark cave doing the same thing they did every night.

Bruce forced a brittle smile onto his face. “Yes, it is. A platonic soulmate bond is cause for celebration in many cultures.”

If Clark’s features faltered, it was too fast for Bruce to notice. “Oh…uh yeah. A platonic bond.” Some of the vigour slipped from Clark’s demeanour. “We should do something to celebrate.”

“Yes,” Bruce said.

Silence descended on the cave. The happy revelation of the previous moments had clearly soured. This was Bruce’s fault, he had clearly allowed his emotion to show and ruin Clark’s happiness. Bruce took a deep breath and schooled his face into something he hoped would hide his true feelings from Clark. “Perhaps a party? That is a thing, right?”

Clark seemed to brighten. “The soulmate reveal party! Yes, we can have the binding ceremony then.”

Bruce’s throat tightened at the prospect. Soulmate reveal parties and ceremonies were an event inserted into the traditions of many cultures. They were a chance to celebrate the new bond and to toast to the future and all that it would bring for the soulmates.

Romantic soulmate ceremonies would most often conclude with the joining of the bondmates in marriage. But that wouldn’t be happening for Bruce. No, he would stand in that room with his family and his friends and bear it with a grin on his face. But his kids would know how crushed he really was, they’d know that no matter how much he wanted it, he just wasn’t good enough for Clark.

Bruce hated how he was thinking. He should be happy. He should be over the moon that his best friend had bonded with him like this. But the loss of what they could have been hung heavy in his heart, weighing him down like a cinder block underwater. This should have been one of the most happy moments of his life, yet all he wanted to do was leave so he could properly grieve over something that never did, and never would exist.

Bruce cleared his throat so he could speak. “We should make arrangements for a small gathering.”

Clark looked at him, almost as if trying to see past the stoic façade. He sighed when Bruce’s mask refused to crack. “Okay then. A small gathering it is.”

* * *

Glasses clinked as people mulled about the ballroom of Wayne manor. True to their word, the party was limited to close friends and family which cut out the need for interviews with reporters, or mind-numbing conversations with Gotham’s high-class citizens.

However, that did mean that most of the conversations revolved around Bruce and Clark’s social lives because the people that were having them did, in fact, actually know them.

“Oh, you should have seen him! He came into the house looking bashful— he could barely look his Pa in the eyes— we couldn’t figure out what he had done until we saw the barn the next morning. Poor dote had accidentally ripped the door off its hinges.”

Clark could feel his face heat up. “Ma, do you really need to tell everyone that story again? I’m pretty sure everyone has already heard it.”

Martha Kent smiled in that knowing way that mothers do and patted him on the chest. “Don’t be silly, Clark. Oliver hadn’t heard it yet!”

Ollie smiled and took Martha by the arm. “I am _very_ interested in any other stories you might have. Honestly, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Clark groaned and went to stop the two but stopped when Black Canary gripped his forearm and steered him over to a group of women. The cluster included the Birds of Prey and they all gave him dazzling smiles as he joined the circle. “Congratulations!” Dinah exclaimed.

The ballroom had been lavishly decorated at Alfred’s behest, flower arrangements were tastefully placed around the various tables and spreads of food, lanterns with flickering flames lined the walls and framed a low stage in the centre of the room as they circled around it. Waiters weaved through the guests with platters laden fancy food and bubbling alcohol. Barbara leaned over and grabbed a champagne flute off a passing waiters silver tray. She handed it off to Clark. “Yes, congratulations! I always had an inkling that you and Bruce would form a bond. I can’t tell you how happy I am that it’s finally happened!”

Clark felt his throat constrict, he took a sip of champagne and then cleared his throat to speak, “Thank you, I’m…uh...glad too.” He was glad he had formed a soulmate bond with Bruce, just not the right type of bond for his liking.

Dinah raised her flute and the other women followed. “Here’s to a fruitful bond!” she said. Clark raised his glass and lightly clanked it against the others. “Cheers!”

He sipped more of the bubbly drink, focusing on the way the bubbles fizzed against his sensitive tongue instead of the conversations around him. A hand slapped him on the back, snapping him from his thoughts.

“Well, here is the man of the hour. Are you excited?” Hal asked.

“Yeah, of course,” lied Clark. He should be excited. This _should_ be one of the happiest days of his life. Instead he had to plaster a fake smile on his face as people congratulated him for something that ripped his heart apart whenever he had to think of it.

“I remember the day me and Kilowog formed a soulmate bond. Wasn’t a surprise to either of us of course, we could see it a mile off, but it was still such an amazing moment. It happened on the twin moons of Paresis, in the middle of a firefight between the green and red lanterns…” Hal trailed off, a smile on his face as he recalled the memory. “Where did it happen for you two?”

Clark scratched behind his ear. There hadn’t been some life-reaffirming moment, their lives hadn’t been on the line, they hadn’t even been fighting side by side as Batman and Superman. “Well…we were just in the cave. There was nothing really exciting happening at the time, it just kind of happened.”

“Oh, well I’m sure you and Bruce were delighted. Talking of Bruce, where is he?” Hal asked.

Clark scanned the ballroom, eyes landing on Bruce and Diana as they talked. Bruce seemed reserved as he spoke, his lip turning down slightly at one ed which told Clark he was upset about something. “I see him. I better go talk to him before the ceremony begins.”

Hal nodded and turned to the Birds of Prey as Clark made his way through the crowd to Diana and Bruce. Diana turned to him with a warm smile, looking down slightly at him since her high heels gave her an inch on him. “Clark! Bruce was wondering where you had gotten to.”

Bruce seemed slightly flustered at her statement, but he hid it well enough that Clark decided to drop it. “Ah, yes. I thought we should speak before the ceremony begins,” Bruce said.

“Yes, that should be fine.” He looked to Diana. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting your conversation.”

She shook her head. “No, of course not. We were just talking about soulmates. Bruce was regaling the story of how his parents formed their soulmate bond.”

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it’s everything I know from what Alfred told me.”

“I remember the day Steve and I were bonded,” Diana said fondly. “It was wartime France, we were defending a little village that was half a mile away from the front lines. We weren’t expecting much, it was war after all, but the town-folk scraped together their rations and we had a party. Someone even managed to find a ceremonial red ribbon that hadn’t been destroyed.”

Diana didn’t speak of Steve much, he had died decades ago, long before either Bruce or Clark had been born. Still, both men listened with rapt attention. “I’m sorry he’s gone, Diana,” Bruce said. He looked genuinely concerned for her.

Diana smiled and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Don’t be. Steve had a long life, one I lived alongside him. We were two parts of a whole, and even though he is dead, he is not gone.” She brought one of her hands up to her heart. “He will always be a part of me, even if he is not here now.” She looked out across the hall to where the bonding officiator was making their way toward the stage. “I must go now and leave you two to yourselves. The rite will begin shortly.”

The frown on Bruce’s face deepened at her words, but he didn’t stop her from leaving.

“What did you want to talk with me about?” Clark asked.

Bruce looked at him sharply, as if he had been so lost in thought he had forgotten Clark was standing next to him. “Yes. I wanted to talk to you.”

“About?” Clark pushed.

Bruce suddenly looked nervous. He visibly swallowed, “I wanted to ask you something about us. About our future. Well, maybe not ask, it’s more that I need to tell you something.”

Clark felt his pulse quicken. What was Bruce getting at?

“Okay. That’s fine, you know you can always tell me anything, Bruce,” he said.

Bruce’s eyes darted around the ballroom. He locked eyes with his own and Clark was struck with the storm of emotion within their depths. “Perhaps we could go somewhere more private?”

“Yes—”

A bell rang out across the hall, its musical notes echoing throughout the room. “The clock has struck midnight and thus the bonding ceremony will begin!” The officiator rang the bell again. “May the soulmates join me on the stage to undergo the rite of the soul bound.”

Bruce’s shoulders deflated. “We should go.”

“I’m sure whatever you needed to tell me can wait until after, right?”

Bruce fixed his suit tie and straightened his shoulders, almost as if putting his emotional armour back up. He turned to Clark and gave him a slight smile. “No, it doesn’t really matter. I was just being stupid.”

Clark wanted to reply but the crowd was already turning to them with expectant faces. They made their way to the stage together and stood facing each other with the officiator standing beside them.

The officiator spoke with a loud voice that carried across the ballroom, “Today, we gather for the joining of Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent in the divine right of soulmates.” He took one of each of their arms and brought them together, so that each man was clasping the others arm by the elbow. “Watch as they clasp arms to signify the strength of friendship.”

He turned to an intricately carved wooden box and removed an object. It was a silver ribbon to signify friendship and loyalty. The man started to wind it around their joined arms, starting at Clark’s arm first. It was silky as it was wrapped around him, pale and shimmering against his skin as it wound around their two arms, binding them together until death. He hated it. He hated what it signified— what it denied him.

“Watch as the silver ribbon of fate binds them together for eternity and shows that their friendship will weather the test of time.”

Clark wished it were red, the marriage ribbon for romantic soulmates. Then it would mean love and devotion, their arms would be joined in the deep red fabric and then everyone would know the true depth of their passion for one another.

The man finished wrapping the silver ribbon around the clasped arms and laid a hand over it. He lifted his other hand into the air and spoke directly to the crowd, “Let us all bear witness to the joining of these two glorious souls in a platonic soul bond. Let us wish them a long and prosperous friendship and allow them to draw on each other’s strength in times of darkness.”

The crowd erupted into applause, a sea of smiling faces looked up at them, happy for what the bond would bring in the future. Clark didn’t feel happy. He felt sick, this was everything he wanted and yet, not. The moment fell short, like the crescendo of a musical note falling flat, it was disappointing in a way that made Clark’s insides roil.

He felt bad for wanting more. Surely this should be enough for him? If a platonic bond with Bruce was all that was fated for him, he should be grateful, he shouldn’t feel disappointment— he was selfish for feeling disappointment. Clark wanted to bash his head against a very hard rock. In all the history of soulmates, had anyone ever been disappointed with the bond before? Maybe it was just his Kryptonian biology, maybe he just wasn’t fully compatible with life on Earth.

Clark looked back at Bruce, he looked just as happy as anyone else, with a large smile gracing his features, but Clark noted it didn’t reach his eyes. Bruce never liked being the centre of attention unless he was pretending to be Brucie. Perhaps it was time to get him off the stage and out of the spotlight where it would be more comfortable.

The bond officiator unwrapped the silver ribbon and folded it back into its box. “Congratulations! The bond is now official in the eyes of the state.” He had a genuine smile on his face as he said it and Clark could feel his own facial muscles contract in an effort to copy it.

“Thank you for doing the ceremony for us,” said Bruce.

“All in a day's work! Now, I suggest you two fine gentlemen go and enjoy your party!”

They nodded and stepped down off the stage only to be accosted by a group of their friends and family.

Damian tugged on the sleeve of Bruce’s blazer. “Can I see the ribbon? I would like to examine it to see how it differs from those used in Nanda Parbat.”

“I don’t know, son. You will need to ask the officiator, they usually like to keep the ceremonial ribbons locked away,” Bruce replied.

Dick swooped in and took Damian by the arm. “Don’t worry I’ll ask the man for him.”

Damian crossed his arms. “I assure you, Grayson. I am more than capable at asking for myself.”

“I know, Little D. But you do have a habit of coming across as demanding.” Dick looked up at Bruce and Clark. “Hey, congrats by the way.”

“Thanks, Dick. I hope you’re having a good time. I know you took time off one of your Blüdhaven cases to be here,” said Clark.

Dick waved his hand. “Eh, it’s no bother. I have to wait for the mob to make a move before I can do anything anyway.”

Bruce patted Dick on the shoulder. “Thanks for coming, Dick.” Damian pulled on Dick’s grip as he tried to escape. “Maybe take Damian to see the ribbon and then bring him to bed, it’s getting late.”

Damian whirled around, “But father—”

Bruce put a finger up. “No buts. I expect you to do as Dick says.”

Damian pouted but conceded, “Fine.”

Bruce ruffled his hair. “Come see me before you go to bed and I’ll say goodnight.”

The two boys walked away and their space was immediately filled by Ollie and Dinah. Ollie was completely drunk and had an arm around his wife’s waist to stabilise him. “Oh my god, that was such a beautiful ceremony. The lanterns, the ribbons…I nearly cried.”

Clark could tell the man was completely serious. “Oh, well…thanks I guess,” he said, bemused.

Ollie turned to Dinah. “Do you remember our bonding ceremony? That damn red ribbon was tied too tight. It nearly cut the circulation off in my arm!”

Dinah laughed. “Yeah it was actually. But then you somehow managed to fall off the stage and you dragged me down with you. Now that I think about it, that is a poetic metaphor for our life.”

Ollie fluttered his eyelashes up at her. “But it’s all worth it to be with me, right?”

Dinah rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. “The things I do for my romantic soulmate.” She leant forward and kissed Ollie on the cheek.

A horrible thought washed over Clark like a bucket of ice water. What if he had a romantic soulmate out there? What would he do if he met them at some point in the future? The thought of being tied to any other soul than Bruce’s repulsed him. How would Bruce fit into his life if another soulmate came along, would they drift apart, their friendship taking second place to the romantic soulmate bond.

A second, even worse thought, clawed its way into Clark's mind. What if Bruce had a romantic soulmate? Bruce had assured him that the relationship between him and Selina had ended years ago, but what if at some point they got back together? What if they had a romantic soulmate bond that made itself known. Not being with Bruce was hurting him now, but having to watch someone else take a romantic role in Bruce’s life would tear him apart from the inside.

He looked around but he couldn’t see Bruce. “Where—”

“He went to get some air.” Diana put a strong hand on his shoulder. “You need to go after him. You need to tell him the truth.”

“The truth?” Clark asked, his stomach twisted at the thought of revealing his true thoughts and feelings to Bruce.

“Yes. I can see it in your eyes, some say they are a window to the soul after all.” She caressed the silky ribbon still clutched in his hand and took it off him. “Go. Be by his side, it is where you belong.”

Ah, Diana of Themyscira, wise beyond her years. A literal warrior that dealt in truth. She even carried around a golden lasso that was enchanted with it for Rao’s sake. Clark wondered why he ever thought he could hide his feelings from her.

Clark nodded and then rolled his shoulders back, steeling himself. Then, he marched himself out of the ballroom and onto the balcony. It was a beautifully clear night. The moonbeams glowed down from the sky, bathing the sprawling back gardens of the manor in pale light. Lanterns lit up the balcony in a warm glow that also settled on the lonely figure that stood at the farthest edge.

Clark put his hands in his pockets and slowly walked up to Bruce. “I always loved the manor grounds. They are so well kept, it’s like some sort of magical garden from a book, or something you’d find in a palace.”

Bruce turned his head slightly to look at him from the side of his eyes. “What does that make me? The king?”

Clark mulled over his answer, Bruce seemed sullen, so he went with a more mischievous route. “Hmm. I was thinking something more like the Queen of Hearts.” He put on a voice, “Alfred, fetch me the strawberry tarts!”

Bruce turned fully toward him, an exaggerated scandalised look on his face. “I would _never_!” He put an affronted hand on his own chest. “I expect you to know by now that I only like chocolate tarts.”

Clark put his hands up. “My bad! I should have remembered. I’m also assuming poor Alfred has to make them bat shaped?”

Bruce laughed and Clark’s chest filled with joy. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A silence fell over them as they stood beside each other overlooking the darkened gardens. These comfortable silences were one of the things Clark loved about Bruce. The lack of noise or talking didn’t feel awkward or empty, instead it was filled with Bruce’s presence, like the thrumming of his heart or the humming sound he sometimes made when he was working on a case.

Clark’s heart suddenly ached. He wanted Bruce so much, almost to the point where he thought his soul would burst out of his body. He needed to tell Bruce the truth. He couldn’t go on living like this, never being able to tell Bruce how he really felt, how he really wanted him.

“What’s wrong?” Bruce asked. He stared at Clark, a worried expression on his own face as he saw the turbulent emotions flicker over Clark’s facial features.

“Bruce…I…I,” Clark stalled, coming up short. How could he tell Bruce the breadth of his full raw emotions in a few words? How could he make Bruce understand how much he really loved him? There were no words in the English language, in any language, for what they had between them. There was one option, it would ruin their friendship for sure, but Clark would hate himself for the rest of his life if he were too cowardly to do it.

Clark brought one hand to the back of Bruce’s head and the other to Bruce’s waist, then he leant forward and kissed him. There were no fireworks, no amazing moment of revolution. It was the same as it always had been; two perfect souls slotting together as they should.

Bruce moaned and leaned up into the kiss, pressing their mouths together neatly. They stayed like that for a long moment, content with exploring others mouths, before they pulled apart.

“Bruce, I’ve loved you for years. I can’t go on living this lie. I can’t be your platonic soulmate, I just _can’t.”_

Bruce gazed into his eyes, searching for any falsehood. When there was none to be found, a genuine smile broke out over his face for the first time in a week. “I thought it was just me. I thought if I said anything, you’d never want to see me again.”

Clark gripped Bruce tight and pulled him into an embrace. “What? No! I would never want to do that to you. If I could see you everyday for the rest of my life, then I’ll be a very happy man.”

Bruce leaned back to look up at Clark. “So, what are you saying?” He tilted his head playfully. “That you would be happy if you woke up beside me every day?”

Clark couldn’t help but lean down and kiss the smirk off Bruce’s face. “Yes. A million times yes.”

“We should probably run after the bond officiator then, before he leaves with the ribbons.” This time it was Bruce that leaned up and kissed Clark.

**Author's Note:**

> So that's my very first soulmate fic! I hope I did it justice!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! All comments and kudos are appreciated <3
> 
> Come see me on my Tumblr [aboutbatman!](https://aboutbatman.tumblr.com/)


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